The digital transformation provides a wide range of opportunities for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in ASEAN, especially Cambodia while MSMEs are the key player for Cambodia economic sustainable growth. It also can improve their market intelligence, improve their product and service innovation, ease access to talent, support access to financing, and ultimately enhance their competitiveness in local and global markets. MSMEs play a vital role in Cambodia through their contribution to employment and inclusive growth. However, MSMEs face significant barriers related to access and use of digital technologies that prevent them from achieving their full potential. They are lagging behind in the digital transition.
This year, the Digital Cambodia 2020 is scheduled to happen from March 20-22, 2020 08:30 am to 07:00 pm at Diamond Island Exhibition Center. As part of the discussion, YEAC is powering a session on the second day (March 21st) from 5 pm to 6:30 pm on the topic “SMEs Go Digital”. During Global Entrepreneurship Week Cambodia 2019, Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia and its co-host Global Entrepreneurship Network Cambodia did a conference with about 100 SME’s owners in Phnom Penh talking about the ecosystem and the digital adoption of SMEs in Cambodia featuring speakers from both public and private sectors. The topic of “MSMEs Digital Maturity Model” is still very much relevant to the IR4.0 and especially the key topic for Digital Cambodia 2020.
MSMEs’ digital adoption is one of the key elements in the Cambodia Digital Economy. However, there is no unified models and reliable study to about the current status in Cambodia and concrete recommendations for improvement. Hence, there is a need to have a common MSMEs Digital Maturity Model that can be used to assess Cambodia MSMEs’ digital maturity to inform the coordinated and impactful intervention. There are two stages of these initiatives, which are:
- Formulation of the Cambodian MSMEs Digital Maturity Model: There are hundreds of digital maturity models developed by world-leading consulting firms. However, those have been developed for specific economic conditions, business environments, digital infrastructure, and regulations. Direct adoption of any particular model might not fit into the Cambodian operating environment. Hence, there is a need to conduct a study to formulate and contextualize various models into agreed Cambodia MSMEs Digital Maturity Model. This would make Cambodia among the first country in ASEAN to have an agreed model for future study on Cambodian MSMEs Digital adoption. Such a result will provide comparability and consistency in research results and recommendations.
- Baseline study of Cambodian MSMEs digital adoption based on the approved Cambodia MSMEs Digital Maturity Model. The sample size will be proposed and approved by relevant stakeholders to ensure that the study result can have impactful recommendations for both policymakers and business digital transformation. This would a nationwide study.
The schedule of the session is as below: 21 March 2020 17h00-18h30
Powered by YEAC and CWEA
Keynote Presentation: SMEs Digital Adoption, by Mr. SIM Chankiriroth, Board of Director, YEAC and CEO of BanhJi.
Guests of Honor:
- H.E. Dr. CHAM Prasidh, Senior Minister, Minister of MIH, Cambodia
- Mr. SIM Chankiriroth, Board of Director, YEAC and CEO of BanhJi
- Ms. Chea Ratha, CEO of Khmum Technology and BoD of Cambodia Women Entrepreneurs Association (CWEA)
- Mr. Robert Hor, Program Manager, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Cambodia
- Jake Chay, Chairman and CEO of Phenom Group (Singapore)
Moderator: Mr. BUN Sambath, Executive Director, Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia (YEAC)